Foreigners set to outnumber Brits in London by 2031

Foreigners living in London are set to outnumber Brits within 20 years, new research signalled yesterday.

Foreigners living in London are set to outnumber Brits within 20 years, new research signalled yesterday.

The number of residents born outside Britain has risen 54% in ten years — while Brits in the capital fell by one per cent. If the rate of change stays the same, in 2031 London will have 7.11 million foreign residents and 5.07 million Brits.

That estimate, when calculated, does not take into account any possible change in government policy or external factors such as war overseas. Migrants now account for 37% of London residents, up from 27% in 2001. The change was revealed by the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, which analysed census data.

In 2011, London was home to 2.99 million foreign-born people, up from 1.94 million in 2001. There were 5.17 million UK-born residents, down from 5.23 million in 2001. Immigration has soared over the last decade as eastern European nations joined the EU. Migrants make up 13% of the UK population, with 7.5 million in England and Wales. Some 40% live in London, the Migration Observatory study found.

The capital’s population grew 14% in the decade to 2011 — from 7.17 million to 8.17 million. Migration Watch UK said: “This underlines the huge impact that mass immigration is having on our society.” Some 3.8 million came to Britain between 2001 and 2011 — more than the 3.7 million who came over the previous 50 years.